Friday was an interesting day. I received 3 calls from realtors about property clean-ups (mowing, edging and general spruce ups. These were from realtors I have been seeking all year!

Last week we had 4 neighs of frost. All growing has stopped. They feel that the expense now would last until spring and make the properties more curb appealing. I spent today Giving estimates for the work. In all I viewed and quoted 16 foreclosed properties. All from realtors that brushed me off all year. Sold six so far for a total of $2,000.00. Four from one realtor, and two from another.
All wanted certificates of insurance and a copy of my business licence. One even gave me a deposit!

Monday, I will contact the other realtors, banks and credit unions in the area. I wail show:

How it will be the last needed for the winter
How it will improve curb appeal
That I am licensed
that I am insured
I am looking at a great end of season!

I will also offer a winterizing service (freeze protection).
This is something you might try to market!

Steve

picframer

11-01-2009, 05:43 AM

Very glad to hear this Steve, you are doing great and I feel you will go far beyond your dreams in 2010!

We to are having an amazing fall, the weather is holding and the jobs are pouring in, I am back to having 12 staff and we are working 7 days a week, in excavation and some landscape it's by the hour charge rate by equipment by employee and if you really need it done there is an extra charge for weekends, this allows me to cover overtime as some guys are getting 60 hours a week and I am watching the profit margins and they are bang on.

I have no idea what's going on with our company, this is our first year and we are getting jobs hand over fist, mainly drains but we also have over 200 leaf collection jobs, what is happening is we are simply going door to door if we have less than two signed on a street as I have the equipment, just not enough trailers.

The price of gas however is really hurting, it went up again Friday, I am paying around $4.60 USD a gallon, it's currently $1.09 a litre and I believe there is 4.2 liters in a US gallon, pulling these excavators I might get 8 MPG, pulling a tractor with a leaf collector maybe 12, in short we are burining about $180.00+++ a day in fuel alone. Every few cents change in the price has a big effect, I have increased quotes to offset but I can't go much higher. Thank goodness almost all my equipment is diesel, they are cheap to run compared to the trucks. I have this new 350 diesel in the yard but it's not licensed or registered yet, I know by law have 30 days, I am tempted to hook a trailer on it today and give it to one of the guys to use, it's diesel and I want to see how it does on milage pulling weight.

Good luck buddy!!!

Steve

11-01-2009, 07:27 AM

I will also offer a winterizing service (freeze protection).
This is something you might try to market!

What kinds of services do you suggest packaging together for your winterization package?

swstout

11-01-2009, 12:39 PM

What kinds of services do you suggest packaging together for your winterization package?

Although it does't get real cold here, it does get below freezing. Pipes, toilets and hot water heaters burst. This can cause a real watrer damage problem.

I charge $50.00 per house, $100.00 per house if they have a sprinkler system. No one has balked at the price yet.

I also offer rug steam cleaning, painting, and some carpenter work. Here is a job I am doing now for a Credit Union who's forclosee took the kitchen when he moved out. It's just Lowe's basic laminated cabinets. I took this picture this morning while making a parts list so I can finish tomorrow. Myself and one helper 3 days. I charged a 25% MU on material, time and mileage to pick up the cabinets and countertops, etc., and $1,600.00 labor.

Steve

Picture didn't make it. Just a black screen. I'll try to get a picture tomorrow.

swstout

11-01-2009, 06:01 PM

After an hour and a half I just failed. After 15 seconds my wife got it!

Steve

11-02-2009, 06:02 AM

Although it does't get real cold here, it does get below freezing. Pipes, toilets and hot water heaters burst. This can cause a real watrer damage problem.

In another post a member was talking about how they use some sort of anti-freeze to winterize the pipes. Do you use anything like that?

I couldn't open your attachment because it was a docx format.

swstout

11-02-2009, 09:10 AM

In another post a member was talking about how they use some sort of anti-freeze to winterize the pipes. Do you use anything like that?

I couldn't open your attachment because it was a docx format.

I couldn't open your attachment because it was a docx format.[/quote]

We are rural here and everyone has septic tanks and they don't want an antifreeze going in. I just drain toilets, hot water tank, etc. It doesn't get as cold here. There are very few days below freezing and fewer days that the high is below freezing.

Steve

11-03-2009, 05:52 AM

I got the doc file to open but it was blank. Did anyone else have that problem?